One person's woodworking journey, with a focus on handtools, a nod to the past, and an appreciation for the creative spirit.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Horned Smoother Part IX

I'm not sure how 18th-century planemakers attached horns to planes, but I decided on a sliding dovetail for strength.

Thinking it would protect the fragile corners of the dovetail, I added shoulders so that it would sit back from the front of the plane by way of a shallow recess.

The dovetail is hidden because the horn covers the joinery. I have no idea if this matches the method used 300 years ago, but it worked really well.
Even though there is a cross-grain situation with the horn and plane body, I glued it in place. We'll see what happens over time.

I had thought to circumvent any cross-grain issues by burying the bottom of the horn in the body and cutting a deeper mortise than necessary to allow for movement. Changed my mind for whatever reason, but I do think that's a viable option.

The last two photos show the horn with oil applied. It also shows the decorative border I carved along the lower portion of the plane and the final shape of the plane's body.

I should have glamour shots of Sven ready on Thursday. The oil is drying, then I'll apply some wax to the outside surfaces.

Holy Smokes, and here I thought Sven looked fabulous before?!The addition of that beautiful horn and the decorative side treatment really sends it to another level.And I think the shoulder for the dovetail was a very smart idea.

Kari, the scroll/linen fold type carving inside the mouth of the plane is absolutely gorgeous! (it's ok for a guy to say gorgeous, I mean, it is a fantastic tool after all) Outstanding work and thank you for the tutorial with info, pitfalls and fixes. So, following up on Chris' comment, just how much would you charge for one of these?

Thanks guys! I'll have one more post with glamour shots and info about the clamping jig.

R Francis, thank you for correcting me on the Roman numeral. I thought it looked weird, but couldn't figure out why.

Brent, I'll have to think about what I might charge for a pane like this. It might be fun to make custom ones based on customers' designs. That way, each one would be one-of-a-kind.

Kees, the rounded mortise on new ones is what made me think about sinking the horn on Sven. I'm not sure if it's necessary or not for added holding power. I'll find out after a few years of use. I might run into a bit of trouble since the wood is cherry (a bit soft), but I think/hope the dovetail will be enough to keep it intact.